Can Cannabis Relieve Constipation?

One of many therapeutic applications of cannabis is relief from constipation. Stomach pain and bowel problems can often be eased with marijuana. Here's a look at what causes constipation and how cannabis can be of assistance.

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7 Dec 2017

Constipation can be difficult to talk about. Furthermore, it can be difficult to treat as it's not so much of a condition in itself, but a symptom of other conditions.

Stress, irritable bowel syndrome, and even neurological conditions can aggravate your digestive system. It could also be menstruation or a fibre deficiency in your diet causing constipation.

Constipation doesn't just make bathroom visits difficult, it can make them less frequent than twice a week. If you find you have to strain during bowel movements more than 25% of the time, or if they require more than one visit, it's time to consider treatment for constipation.

RELIEVING CONSTIPATION

Dietary changes will have to be made to ensure you're well-hydrated and full of fibre throughout the day. Consult your doctor on what condition or possible food allergy could be driving your constipation.

As you cope with the symptoms, your doctor may or may not recommend medical marijuana. This is used in the case of more severe bowel conditions like Crohn's disease, where your stool is pretty much entirely liquid. With constipation, you may find your stool alternating between particularly hard and particularly loose.

Your bowels are seizing up from a backlog and need to be relaxed. This is one issue where marijuana can indeed be helpful.

THE IMPACT OF MARIJUANA IN CONSTIPATION

Marijuana can act as a laxative while relieving symptoms of pain and discomfort. Often, a hit of THC will relax the digestive system. When THC and other cannabinoids are ingested, they reach the brain through the bloodstream and impact the neurological system.

Ongoing research finds that cannabis sort-of turbocharges different neurons and the flow of neural pathways. Acting upon the entire nervous system, cannabinoids can ease nerve connections while relaxing the mind and muscles. They are even antiemetic to the point of stimulating appetite again. CBD, even as an isolated oil, could be a viable treatment with its anti-anxiety properties.

Once muscles and nerves associated with your bowels relax, it is easier for material to pass through. Along with marijuana's antioxidant properties, this could be a relaxing way to clear out your system and restore digestive harmony.

SMOKED BUDS OR HEMP SEEDS?

There are specific strains you can smoke or vape that have become associated with treating constipation (such as Haze Berry or Shining Silver Haze).

There is also something about hemp fibre itself which seems to display strong antiemetic properties. Knowledge of cannabis as a medicine dates back thousands of years to the earliest available writings in China. Hemp seeds themselves were prescribed for the treatment of constipation and other ailments. The efficacy of cannabis to relieve constipation has recently been established by a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Cannabis has also been featured as an integral part of numerous other Asian medicine systems, such as India's Ayurvedic medicine. From Asia, it spread around the world. For much of history, it was regarded as a potent herbal medicine. If you can access some safely, perhaps cannabis is the medicine for you.